On Time by Catherine Blyth reveals why time sped up, why there never seems to be enough, and how to make it yours again.

We have more time than ever – so why do we feel time poor? The short answer is that our world is addicted to fast. And we have become its servant. Instead of grasping the liberating potential of technology many of us are locked into a doomed race to outpace hurry. The more we value time, the less we feel we have.

Angry, witty and enlightening, On Time is a handbook for navigating a fast-forward world that asks the questions productivity guides ignore: why time sped up, how it is stolen, how it really works, how to stop managing it and instead make it work for you.

Blyth combines cutting-edge research from neuroscience and psychology with accessible stories from philosophy to history to sinking ships, from Leonardo Da Vinci to Usain Bolt, Aristotle to Anna Wintour, Kant to Keith Richards. Delving into the secret lives of habits, decisions and motivation, she reveals why time speeds up when you long for it to slow, and how time-thieves take our good intentions for a walk.

Find out what makes good timing; why some hours trudge while others sprint by; how bright colours, fast food and rapid breathing affect our tempo; how autonomy takes the stress out of pressure, and what hours suit which activities best.

Each of us can expect 1000 months on this planet, if we are lucky. So cease clock-watching, stop stockpiling self-reproach and quit chasing white rabbits. Time is humanity’s finest invention, and with small practical steps it can become your servant.